Mail-box structure



Sept. 22,

, E. H. LIGHTFOOT MAIL BOX STRUCTURE Patented Sept. 221, i925.

U ITE STATES EWAR'L I-I. LIGI-ITFOOT, OF HOUS ON, TEXAS.

MAIL-BOX era-corona.

Application filed July 3 To all whom it may co'ncemt:

Be it known that I, Ewnn'r H. LIGHTFOOT, a-citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a lYlail-Box Structure, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what may be conveniently referred to as mailbox structure, the same having more particular reference to devices of this class such as are especially adapted for use in apartment houses and the like.

In structures of this class it is customary to provide one or more rows of individual key controlled boxes for. reception of the mail of the various tenants. It ismy understanding that there is a ruling'to be 20 several separate boxes for depositing of the mail, this master box being closed by a single door provided with a key controlled lock, the key to which is held by the postman required to deposit mail in this type of mail box.

What I aim to do is to, provide a mail box which will comply fully with these requirements, the same being comparatively simple in construction and there being an audible signal in association with each individual box so that when the mail is deposited, the tenants will be notified.

The improved structure embodies numerous features and advantages and these will become morereadily apparent as the description goes on.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a mail boxstructure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken through the lower portion of the box structure.

1924- Serial No. 724,079.

top thereof. It is to be understood however that in practice, there may be a multiplicity of these individual mailboxes arranged in one or more rows, but it is be lieved that the illustration will suflice to enable a clear comprehension oftheinven- In carrying'out the invention I propose 'to usea' series of vertically elongated boxes 1 which are channel shaped in cross section [as seen more clearly'in Figure 3. These boxes are arrangedln horizontally spaced relation and the front open sideof each one is covered by a face plate 2' secured in place in any appropriate manner. Each face plate is provided with upper and lower openings, the lower' openings :being surrounded by stop fianges 3 and being adapted'fto be closed by individual'hinged key controlled doors 4. Asis usual, these doors 4 will be provided with name plates or means for reception of name cards, with suitable sight openings and, as before stated, with key controlled or permutation locks to enable only the right tenant to have access thereto. The upper opening in each face plate is-covered by an inwardly swinging closure plate5, normally held inclosed position under the action of the spring 6.

The closure plates 5 are surrounded by an elongated frame 7 which is preferably of. This frame constitutes hollow. formation. a mounting "for a single horizontally disposed door 8 which is hinged or otherwise connected as indicated at 9. At a suitable point, the door 8 is equipped with a key controlled lock containing casing 10, the key controlled boltll which is adapted to be projected into a keeper opening provided in the frame7 By preference, the lock is constructed to accommodate an oscillatory ring 12 which is provided with diametrically opposite laterally extending ears. The inner ends of a pair of horizontally disposed rods 14: are pivotally connected to these ears and the outer ends of therods are adapted to extend through aligned openings formed in theuend marginal flanges of the door and the end pieces 'of'theiaforesaid frame. {These rods are adapted to be projected through the openings to assist in maintaining the door 8 closed. For the purpose 'df retracting the rods 14, the ring 12 is provided with a handle 15 which when moved in one direction will project the ends of the rods through the openings and when moved in the other direction will retract said ends from the openings to ,permit opening "of the master door 8. p

lAvlthoughit .is not essential, I propose to engaged from the closure plate and through its inherent resiliency will engage ithe contact 18 and close the circuit to ring the bell. After the mail is deposited, the spring 6 will dlose the plate '5 and will also serve to disengage the contact 19 from the cont-act 18, thus opening the electrical circuit and ren- .dering the signal inoperative.

From the foregoing description and drawing it will be seen that I have involved and produced :an exceedingly 7 novel structure for \thepurpose describedwhich includes a so- .cal led master box into which the 'mail is extend the upper ,pertionsof the face plates deposited by the postman, this master box .above the frame to {form ,monnting means -fonspeakingitubes1'6iand .doorbe'lls 17. As before intimated, it ,is desirable to utilize' signal means for \conjnnction with the device ior notifying each I tenant when ma l is depositediin theirIhox.- Itfis also'lh ghly desirableitoihave ,tlhesignal means (controlled by the aforesaid \closure'plates 5 and in carrying out lthispend lllarrange ,a switch within the device for cooperationwith each closure plate. The switch isfmorevclearly seen in lFiguresQ and ,4; IConfining attention .to these .figuresfit will be seen that each switch 'is composed-ofapair ofspring contacts 18 and .19 separated/by insulation .20. iLst-ripo'finsulation 21.1813130 in association with the contact 7 It is to be "noted that the contact 19 is of greater height than the q.cont act 18, this Contact being, adapted .to "be engaged by the outwardly swinging vclosure platef5 v so that'it will .beldzisengaged from the contact 118 to open ,thenlectrical,ieircuit which is used. To preventlshort circn itinga strip of insulationf2'2 be secured along the lower .edge of .,tl1 e na plate, ,A separate 'electfiieahcircui ls used inm g-tme ml lth each switches the .cirouitiineludes ,a bell-or other ,au'dible ,signal'A :and 1 a battery EB.

1n vpractice, lithe v postman delivering mail to an apartment house provided with a .mail

boxstructure of thisfki'n'd willf'be provided,

by thepos'tajl authorities, with a fkeyifor unlockingthe master door] As is obwious however the master doorxisn'ot-only con-- trolled'by the 1ock,but the handle .15 must be actuated .for retracting the rods [14 .before the door can be opened, With the door now swung down, the mailoan be placed in the upper half of the compartment to drop into the lower half .contro led by the individual doors It will he observedthat in order to place, mail in eajc'hfboxw t will-beessentia1 for the postman to push the closure plate for the particular 'boX tofthefdotteld line position indicated in'FiguBefZ; I'njso doing, the contactil 9 oftliatipartijcular switch will be disbeing in reality-composed ofaserie's o fvcompartments formed by the upper halves of the boxes 1, each compartment being controlled by an individual closure ,plate "and there'beinga single key controlled door for all of these compartments, llso, as, the closure p'la'tes are swung o'pen individually, the signals with which they cooperate are sounded to give notice'that mail hasbeen deposited. g V f It is thought that the foregoing'description when taken inconnection with'the drawing will undoubtedly suffice to enable ,per-

sons skilled in the art towhichtheinvem tion relates to obtain a clear \COHLPBGHGIISlOH of the invention; For this reason I do not think that it 'isnecessary to enter 'a (more lengthy description v Although I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is ings, a single 'hQrizon'ta lly elongated master doorhingedly connected to said frame and covering said upper openings, single authorized key controlledmeans cooperatiare with the last named door and its frame, an oscillatoryring association with said means, oppositely extending rods, said master-door and frame being provided with keeper, open- .ings for reception of the-ends of'the rods,

an'd'a handle 'for oscillating said ring. g

' In testimony whereof I aflix signature.

- H, LIGHTZFUOT, 

